Seed sower



April 3, 1951 H. s. SPEICHER SEED SOWER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 3, 1950 Ill/Ill ATTORNEYS April 3, 1951 H. s. SPEICH-ER SEED SOWER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 3, 1950 I ivllllllliillllllllz INVENTOR [Z51 6' p6 15071-61 ATTORNEYS April 3, 1951 H. s. SPEICHER SEED SOWER Filed Jan. 3/1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 571 e is 71 e 7'.

ATTORNEYS April 3, 1951 I H. s. SPEICHER SEED SOWER 4 Sheets-sheaf 4 Filed Jan. 3, 1950 I N VENTOR .7 HE we z'cfiar ATTORNEYS patented Apr. 3, 1951 SEED SOWER Haro d SQ. Speieher, Urb n tlnd-i a ignor o The Cyclone Se der C a Ind- Application January 3, 1950, Serial N0. 136,603

3 Claims- This invention relate to a seed b oadcastin attachment f r tractor a ob ect f his n en ion is to ro ide an ttachment f r mount n on the clra bar of a tractor or connec on wi h the owe take of f the tr or or broadcas ng e d at th rear of the tractor.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a bro dcas ing attachment f this kin a mpr d m an fo a tatin the material as it is being delivered from the hopper, the agitat= ing m ans i g omb ned with the re ulatin va e and the valve e ng oscillated by the oadcaster shaft so that the material Will be evenly distr b ed by he ro dc s A urther o jec of t s inven ion is o pro ide a adcasting attac m nt of th s kind which can be easily nd qu k mounted on th tra tor- A further object of this invention is to provide a seed or fertilizer broadcasting attachment for a tractor or ther ve e wh ch nclude a e e tr cally p a d br adcast r d riving its power from a battery generator or like source of 619g? trio current- With the a ove and othe jects in view my invention consists in the arrangement, combina ti n and details of constru tion disclosed in t drawin s and pecification, and then more particularly p inted out in the app nded claims- In the drawings:

Figure l is a detailed side elevation partly b oke away and n se ion of a s ed roadc stins d ice constructed accor in to embodi merit of this invention,

Figu 2 is a fra mentary vertical s ction i the device.

igure 3 is a fragmentary bottom p an o the d v c ta on the ine 3- 3 of Fi u e 2'- igu e 4' is a a me tary s cti nal v ew taken on e i e f Fi ure 3.

F u 5 s a top plan view of th devic Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the valve regulating and metering means.

Figure 7' is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 7-1 of Figure 5 or 6.

Figure 8 is a detailed side elevation. of the metering plate.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 2'.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line I!ll0 of Figure 1 t Figur 11 i a fra men ary side ation o a modified form of this invention.

Figure 12 is a fragment y section iew taken on the line lZ'l2 of Figure ll,

Figure 13 is a fragmentary view of the extensible braces for the device.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral !5 designates generally a hopper which is formed of a cylindrical body l6 and an inverted frustoconical bottom ll having a delivery opening I8 in the horizontal lower wall l9 'thereof. The hopper i5 is adapted to be supported from an Lsshaped support 2!} which includes a vertically disposed supporting bar 2!, a lower horizontal bar 22 and bracing bars 23.

The lower bar 22. comprises the base of the supporting member and is adapted to be secured by fastening means 24 to the draw bar 25 of a traetor or the like. A valve plate 26 is dis? posed in the bottom of the hop e 5 nd. slidably en a es a dependin an e 2 wh h is arried by a plate 23 fixed as by spot welding or the like to the bottom w Q of th ho per The plate 28 i orm d with l-. h. ed p o it ends 29 and a resilient bar or wire 30 formed with an upwa d y offset int m dia e rtion ii is cured by fas n me ns 32 o he o set nd portions 29 of pl e 8 an be s a ns he lower side of valve plate or member 26 so as to slidingly old al e plat 6 aga t theflans 21.

A U fipfi l agi atin membe 3 has the M2 11 cl hereof e d d or o her-W se fired to the toner side f plate- 2 a d the a ms 5 e tend up ar 1y thro h the o n n l8 nt the ower porti i of he hop er it.- The alve pl e i a fixed ther to and extend n om th ivery edge 3t here f a fork ill the pu pose f w ich will be hereinafter described.

en arm Sa is fired to and e ends rom h plate 5 opp sitel from the f rk .37 ndnivotal y ted ther with a nl or it w ich s ecured by fasten m ans lit to th ow end o a in erted L shaperi v lv ad us ing rod 41- The ppe hori ntal rod .4 of h adjust n rod 4| extends laterally an utward y of the h pper 5 through an opening or iiton l .forn il inth cyl d ical wa l t of he h p and the horizontal rod 4.? i ee ee ecl to be la ched in valve regulating position by means o a por metering plate 4- Which is a i-nstebl seur d t a g aduated m t ring a e 5- he plate 5 is secu ed by fas n members t to th sid wall t. an m ter plate it is fo m d with an l ngated h izonta openi g Al rough h h a k e er adj-list ng bolt 48 is ad p ed to eng ge- The k p ,r embe .incl-n l s' a a of upward y p o e tinglu s & and 5! e een which the arm or lever 43 is adapted to engage.

The metering plate 45 has numerals on the outer side thereof, and a selected one of the numerals Si is exposed through a window opening 52 which is formed in the keeper plate 44.

A rotatable distributing member 53 is disposed below the hopper i5 and the valve member 26, being secured to a shaft 55 which is rotatably carried by a rearwardly projecting bracket 55 which is secured by fastening members 55 to the vertical support 2|.

The shaft 55 is journalled in a bearing 5'! carried by the bracket 55 and a flexible shaft 58 is secured at one end to the shaft 54 and is pro- I vided at the opposite end thereof with a coupling sleeve 59 for connection with the power take-off shaft 653 formed as part of the tractor.

A flexible shaft holding clip 6| is secured by fastening means 52 to the upright member 2| for firmly holding the outer casing or sheath of the flexible shaft. The vertical side of the valve adjusting member 4! is journalled through a bearing bar 33 which is mounted transversely across the hopper body l3 and is formed with depending opposite ends 65 secured by fastening means 55 to the hopper wall G6.

The upper end of shaft 54 has secured thereto an eccentrically disposed pin 65 which engages between the arms of the fork 31 so that valve member 26 will be oscillated with rotation of shaft 54.

The hopper i5 is secured to the upper end of the support 22 by means of a longitudinally bent bar 6'? which is secured by fastening means 58 to the support and fastening members 69 secure the side wall 16 of the hopper to the supporting member 61. A pair of extensible bracing bars 10 are secured to the fastening members 69 and are adapted to be secured at their opposite ends to suitable portions of the tractor for bracing the hopper and support in upright position on the tractor. K

The bracing members 10 are formed of bars 10a and lilb (Fig. 13) which overlap and are clamped together in endwise adjusted position by means of a pair of clamps l2.

Referring now to Figures 11 and 12, there is disclosed a modified form of this invention particularly with respect to the operator for the distributing member and the valve oscillator. A rotatable distributing member 53a identical with distributor 53 is secured to a shaft 54a which is formed as the armature shaft of a motor 1 I. The motor II is secured to the rear end portion of the rearwardly projecting bracket 55a which is identical with the bracket 55.

The upper end of shaft 54a has secured thereto an eccentric pin 66a engaging between the fork 310. which is carried by the valve member.

In other respects the structure shown in Figures 10 and 11 is identical with that shown in Figures 1 to 10 inclusive.- With the structure shown in Figures 10 and 11 the distributor may be mounted on any type of vehicle which includes a source of electric current supply such as a battery, generator or the like.

In the use and operation of this invention the seed or other material which is to be broadcast is disposed in the hopper l5, and the valve member 26 is adjusted by means of the adjusting member 4! to regulate the width of the delivery opening through which the material is delivered or discharged to the rotating distributing member 53. The distributing member 53 is rotated by connecting the connector 59 with the powered takeoff shaft 60 of the tractor.

This device provides a relatively simple means by which seed, fertilizer, or other material, may be broadcast on the ground, the device being so constructed and arranged that it can be easily and quickly secured to the tractor or other vehicle for movement therewith over the ground. Furthermore, the oscillation of the valve plate will have the effect of preventing the seed or other material from clogging the delivery opening, and this oscillation will assure an even delivery of the seed or other material.

What I claim is:

1. A material broadcasting attachment for mounting on the drawbar of a tractor and for connection with the power take-off, said attachment comprising a hopper having a lower delivery opening, a support fixed to said hopper for mounting'on the drawbar, a rotatable distributing member below said delivery opening, an adjustable valve regulating the discharge of material from said opening, means for rotating said distributing member, an eccentric fixed relative to said distributor, a fork member fixed to said valve and engaging about said eccentric for oscillating said valve, and a pair of agitating pins carried by said valve projecting upwardly into said opening. 7

2. A material broadcasting attachment for a vehicle comprising a hopper having a lower delivery opening, a support fixed to said hopper for attachment to the vehicle, a bracket fixed t0 and extending from said support, a power member carried by said bracket, a vertical shaft rotatable by and extending upwardly from said power member, a rotatable distributing member fixed to said shaft, a valve plate for said opening, means movably mounting said plate on the bottom of said hopper, means adjusting said valve plate relative to said opening, a fork fixed to and extending from said plate, an eccentric pin carried by said shaft engaging between the arms of said fork for oscillating said plate, and a pair of upstanding agitating members fixed to said plate and projecting upwardly into said hopper for agitating the material adjacent said opening.

3. A material broadcasting attachment for a vehicle comprising a hopper having a lower delivery opening, a support fixed to said hopper for attachment to the vehicle, a bracket fixed to said support,--a shaft rotatably carried by and extending upwardly from said bracket, a valve plate for said opening, means for adjusting said valve plate, a distributing member fixed to said shaft, a pair of agitating members fixed to the upper side of said plate and projecting upwardly into the lower portion of said hopper, a fork fixed to said plate, and an eccentric fixed to said shaft engaging between the arms of said fork for oscillating saidv plate and agitating members with rotation of said distributing member.

HAROLD s. SPEICHER.

appearances orrnn The following references are of record in the 

